Patient stories

A 60 year old psychotherapist from London, March 2017

​“I am self-employed, in work which involves maintaining ongoing relationships with people. When I discovered I had breast cancer I concerned about the long term effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy and managing to keep my work going; it would have been impossible if I had followed the usual route. I was lucky to be eligible for intraoperative radiotherapy – and as it wasn’t available to me on the NHS – to be able to afford it.

I found that the operation and targeted radiotherapy meant that I was able to return to work within 2 weeks. The effects of the radiotherapy and operation were relatively minimal, my energy returned quickly and within a month I felt back to my usual level. Intraoperative radiotherapy enabled my cancer treatment to cause minimal disruption to my life and work and furthermore has meant that the radiotherapy has been confined to the area it is meant to treat, rather than risking damage to other organs. I am infinitely grateful to have been able to take this option.”

Rita Rose “Me and My operation” December 2013

“I arrived for my operation in November 2009. I was anxious, of course. But when I woke from the anaesthetic three hours later I felt fine. There was just a small dressing on my breast. And amazingly — no pain or side-effects……

Sadly, in January 2012, I was asked to go back to hospital after another mammogram found cancer in my right breast. …

But I knew exactly what treatment I wanted. I asked him to let me have Targit again. Thankfully the doctors agreed to give it to me outside the trial: I was euphoric.

I had the treatment in February, and was back home the same day. Instead of tamoxifen, I was prescribed Anastrozole, which reduces the oestrogen in the body. I’ve had no side-effects so far.

“Certainly for me, being offered TARGIT was a godsend. It meant I could avoid the trauma and exhaustion of travelling to hospital daily for weeks of radiotherapy; and I suffered none of the side effects of standard radiotherapy such as local tenderness, swelling, reduced range of movement or change in breast appearance.

In late August, in a three-hour operation, I had a lumpectomy. While still under general anaesthetic, I also received 30 minutes of TARGIT. I spent one night in hospital, and then I walked away, all treatment completed. There were no weeks of radiotherapy appointments to worry about and no endless hours spent waiting in hospital. I was back at work as a journalist within weeks.”